illow and began to smother him. While the struggle was going
on the candle went out. The woman took a box of safety matches from her
pocket, and lit the candle. Was it not so? I see by your face that I am
speaking the truth. But to go on. After you had smothered him, and saw
that he had ceased breathing, you and Nicholas pulled him out through
the window and laid him down near the burdock. Fearing that he might
come round again, you struck him with something sharp. Then you carried
him away, and laid him down under a lilac bush for a short time. After
resting awhile and considering, you carried him across the fence. Then
you entered the road. After that comes the dam. Near the dam, a peasant
frightened you. Well, what is the matter with you?"

"I am suffocating!" replied Psyekoff. "Very well--have it so. Only let
me go out, please!"

They led Psyekoff away.

"At last! He has confessed!" cried Chubikoff, stretching himself
luxuriously. "He has betrayed himself! And didn't I get round him
cleverly! Regularly caught him napping--"

"And he doesn't deny the woman in the black dress!" exulted Dukovski.
"But all the same, that safety match is tormenting me frightfully. I
can't stand it any longer. Good-bye! I am off!"

Dukovski put on his cap and drove off. Chubikoff began to examine
Aquilina. Aquilina declared that she knew nothing whatever about it.

At six that evening Dukovski returned. He was more agitated than he had
ever been before. His hands trembled so that he could not even unbutton
his greatcoat. His cheeks glowed. It was clear that he did not come
empty-handed.

"_Veni, vidi, vici!_" he cried, rushing into Chubikoff's room, and
falling into an armchair. "I swear to you on my honour, I begin to
believe that I am a genius! Listen, devil take us all! It is funny, and
it is sad. We have caught three already--isn't that so? Well, I have
found the fourth, and a woman at that. You will never believe who it is!
But listen. I went to Klausoff's village, and began to make a spiral
round it. I visited all the little shops, public houses, dram shops on
the road, everywhere asking for safety matches. Everywhere they said
they hadn't any. I made a wide round. Twenty times I lost faith, and
twenty times I got it back again. I knocked about the whole day, and
only an hour ago I got on the track. Three versts from here. They gave
me a packet of ten boxes. One box was missing. Immediately: 'Who bought
the other box?' 'Such